The house
Casa Walser offers 150 square metres of living space on four levels. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen with an open fireplace and underfloor heating provide space for up to six guests. The original furnishings, featuring Italian designer furniture from the 1980s, are part of the architectural concept.
The house is habitable all year round and has WiFi.
Getting there
Casa Walser is located below the village centre of Loco and can only be reached on foot. From Locarno, a winding mountain road leads to the Valle Onsernone (approx. 30 minutes). A rented car park is available below the Loco school. From there, it is a five-minute walk along paved paths and stairs to the house.
By public transport: bus from Locarno railway station to Loco (approx. 45 minutes), then a five-minute walk.
Notes
Casa Walser is an architectural original – not a hotel or holiday apartment in the traditional sense. The house is spread over several levels and requires sure-footedness. Access is exclusively on foot, so light luggage makes the journey easier.
The house is suitable for mobile guests with an interest in architecture who want to experience space in a conscious way. It is not barrier-free and is not suitable for children or pets.
Personal recommendations
A personal selection of places and addresses that I myself appreciate and would like to recommend to my guests at Casa Walser. Not a complete tourist list, but a curated mosaic of valley, lake, culture, architecture and cuisine.
In the Onsernone Valley and directly around Casa Walser
- Albergo Ristorante Centovalli, Loco
The best risotto and a beautiful outdoor area under a pergola. - Museo Onsernonese, Loco
The history and traditions of the valley. - Annette Korolnik-Andersch, Loco
A versatile artist, excellent cook, daughter of Alfred Andersch and a dear friend. - Macelleria Fratelli Freddi, Intragna
Delicious salami and sausages. - Ristorante della Posta, Russo
Simple, cosy restaurant in the centre of Russo with home-made cuisine, excellent fresh pasta, local specialities and a very warm, family atmosphere. - Rasa, Centovalli
Car-free, idyllic mountain village in Centovalli, accessible only by cable car from Verdasio or on foot, with narrow streets, stone houses and a beautiful starting point for quiet walks and hikes.
Ascona, Locarno and Lake Maggiore
- Brissago Islands, Brissago
A fairytale-like island with a botanical garden and a pleasant restaurant. Accessible by boat from Ascona. - Madonna del Sasso, Locarno
A pilgrimage church in a dreamlike location high above Locarno with sweeping views over the town and Lake Maggiore, baroque interior and impressive church and monastery complex. - Monte Verità, Ascona
Historic hill above Ascona in a magnificent location overlooking Lake Maggiore; at the beginning of the 20th century, it was a retreat for lifestyle reformers, artists and the first “dropouts”, whose utopian spirit can still be felt today in the park, museum and hotel complex. - Marnin, Ascona
Delicious panettone in all varieties and fantastic amaretti. - Grotto Madonna della Fontana, Ascona
A traditional grotto nestled in the woods above Ascona, serving Ticino cuisine, with a shaded stone terrace and charcoal-grilled meat and specialities in summer. - Film Festival, Locarno
High-calibre film festival with global appeal in the Piazza Grande and in the cinemas of Locarno, always at the beginning/middle of August.
Art, architecture and culture in Ticino
- Fondazione Ghisla Art Collection, Locarno
Private museum in a striking red cube near Piazza Grande/marina, with a high-calibre collection of modern and contemporary art (including Picasso, Miró, Magritte, Warhol and Basquiat). - Teatro Dimitri, Verscio
The unforgettable clown Dimitri. The melancholic hero of my childhood and namesake of the Teatro Dimitri, which lives on today as a small centre for theatre arts and education in Verscio. - Teatro dell’architettura Mendrisio (TAM)
Exhibition centre of the Accademia di architettura, designed by Mario Botta, with changing exhibitions and events on contemporary architecture and the Ticino school. - Church by Mario Botta, Mogno
Iconic mountain church by Mario Botta at the far end of the Maggia Valley, a sculptural building made of alternating layers of Peccia marble and Maggia gneiss, which has been a pilgrimage destination for architecture lovers since the 1990s. - Castelgrande and the castles of Bellinzona
UNESCO World Heritage Site with three imposing medieval castles high above the town, connected by former defensive walls, plus a beautiful, lively old town with narrow streets, squares and a Saturday market.
Wine and culinary delights from Mendrisiotto
- Gialdi Vini SA, Mendrisio
Traditional winemaker from Mendrisiotto, now one of the leading wineries in Ticino, producing, among other things, the excellent white Merlot “Bianco Rovere” (aged in barriques, complex and fruity).